An Exemplary Life of Pujya Panyas Dr. Arunvijayji Maharaj By Vijay Shah

An Exemplary Life of Pujya Panyas Dr. Arunvijayji Maharaj

Compiled humbly on behalf of all the Disciples of Arunvijayji Maharaj, by Dr. Vijay Shah

Dr. Vijay Shah is a Sadhak (student) taking small steps towards the journey of self-realization, with focus on learning Jain concepts and practices. His interest includes Agam shastras, scholarly works on religious philosophies discovered during 500 BC, and practice of meditation. As a certified Yoga teacher, he loves to teach Meditative Yoga at a local fitness club. As a professional, Dr. Shah teaches in the area of Business Management, has several scholarly publications, and has organized several panel discussions on Spirituality.

Pujya Panyas Dr. Arunvijayji Maharaj was born as Arunkumar in the Bijapur village of Pali district in Rajasthan, India. Bijapur is located near Hathundi, an ancient Rata Mahavir Tirth that existed 1700 years back. The deteriorated Hathundi Tirth was restored back under the leadership of Shri Javerchand Chandulal Kamdar, a local businessman. Acharya Shri Vijayvallabhsuriji Maharaj was invited to do the pratishtha and the reestablishment of the Tirth. On completion, Acharyaji highly impressed with the work, blessed Javerchandji, that he will soon see the fruits of pratishtha. Coincidently, at the same time Javerchandji got news that his son Shri Gulabchand’s wife Shrimati Shantabai had delivered a son named Arunkumar.

Shri Gulabchand Kamdar was part of a large family with jewelry business in several parts of India including Mumbai. Arunkumar, the eldest of the five siblings moved along with the family to Mumbai where he started attending school. His father enrolled him in a nearby Jain pathshala of Godiji. As a young boy, Arunkumar had a normal childhood growing up. The group of boys that attended Jain pathshala were always very noisy as they passed through the common areas of temple disturbing the sadhu / shravaks engaged in Pratikraman / Samayak worship. To stop the daily noise disturbance, one day, the Guru Maharaj decided to invite the boys and tell them some stories. Things changed fast!

Guru Maharaj told stories of Mahavir Bhagwan every day to these kids who had now calmed down and were taking interest. The stories sparked a gentle fire of excitement in the heart of the very young Arunkumar, who started taking special interest. Every day after school, he would go straight to Guru Maharaj and spend time learning with great enthusiasm. Guru Maharaj responded with more inspirational teachings encouraging Arunkumar, who soon learned Samayak and many other Jain practices. Young Arunkumar’s ambition was to become a sadhu and spread the knowledge of Mahavir Bhagwan to the entire world, a dream that would one day unfold. He started thinking of Diksha and Guru Maharaj nurtured his ambition and guided him to the next step of getting permission from family. The family elders refused, but they suggested that he do Updhaan and experience the sadhu life before taking such a big decision. Arunkumar agreed, finished the Updhaan successfully, and his determination grew even stronger. The family resisted equally hard. However, Arunkumar stood firm and one night, left the family home and went to Guru Maharaj, who accepted him and gave him diksha the next morning.

A fresh struggle emerged between the large powerful business family and the Jawaharnagar Jain Sangh which stood strong to protect. The strength of his determination was tested, and Arunkumar prevailed. At the tender age of 18, in June 1967, in a formal ceremony he got the diksha recognition from Premsuriji Maharaj. The gentle red glow that radiates in the sky before the sunrise symbolized by the name “Arun”, had started to emerge, destined to spread the message of Mahavir Bhagwan like a rising sun. Young Arunmuni’s pursuit of Gnan-Sadhna grew fast and strong and was recognized by his Guru Maharaj.

He started learning the grammar of several languages including Hindi, Gujrati, Marathi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit and quickly progressed from High school to College and earned BA, and MA degrees in Language and Literature followed by a second BA and MA in his favorite topic of interest viz. “Comparative philosophy and logics”. Arunvijayji Maharaj was now into discourses, shibirs, and chaturmas gaining increased popularity in the community. He wrote his first book called “Karma tani gaati nyari”. With each chaturmas he started writing additional books. Writing and Gnan-Sadhana were his passions. Guru Maharaj encouraged him to go even further and do Ph.D. and Arunvijayji went ahead and did Ph.D in comparative religions stressing the unique position of Jain religion’s rejection of the Creator God and Creation theory. He developed logical arguments to support this proposition establishing the true form and nature of the God element. There were two research volumes published as a result and the Pune University awarded him the Ph.D. degree.

Arunvijayji further advanced in the study of Jain Agams and progressed to master those and earn the title of “Panyas” or “Pandit” which gave him the right and privileges to teach the Agam shastras. Now the sun of knowledge was rising in full brilliance, and there was nothing to stop Arunvijayji as he spread Mahavir Bhagwans knowledge all over the country in all directions with full radiance, in the form of pratishthas, chatturmas, shibirs and other discourses, writing books etc., till his Vihars took him back full circle to Hathundi Tirth, and Bijapur his birthplace. Arunvijayji started fresh initiatives to transform the Hathundi Tirth to the next stage building a beautiful temple and Samavasaran. The Vihars further took him across India and then to Pune in the West, where he established the Veeralayam Jain Tirth. “Veer” ie. brave is a short form for “Maha” veer or the “Bravest of brave”. This is the first and only place in the world where “Vishasthanak” mandir has been established, with a group of 20 small temples with Samavasaran in the center. Each Murti (idol) is made up of specially ordered beautifully colored semi-precious stones and crystals to inspire in the devotees the pure radiance of the gunas in a liberated Atma.

The Veralayam (http://www.veeralayam.com/) is located on a scenic hill at the outskirts of Pune, India with a Jain temple, Jain research library, Ashram, Gaushala with 700 cows, modern lodging and kitchen facilities to take care of the guests. Arunvijayji’s dream is to develop Veralayam into a full-scale Jain Tirth Resort where individuals can come, stay, and develop themselves in all aspects of Jainism. The dream includes plans for Ayurvedic Hospital, school for Sadhu Sadhvis, Hostels, Research Facility, Vridhashram for Sadhu Sadhvis, Rehabilitation Center, and Orphanage. For donations and to get involved contact mahaveeralayam@gmail.com

For the last 54 years, Arunvijayji has been spreading the word of Mahaveer Bhagwaan all over India. With a very strong command of languages, he has organized several national and international conferences for research scholars in many different languages including Sanskrit. As a brilliant scholar, he has published many research papers, and more than 50 books, freely accessible through the JAINA elibrary https://jainelibrary.org/. Just type in Arunvijay in the Search box and you will access all the ebooks.

Arunvijayji is best known for his unique style of visual illustration on blackboard, simplifying various complex concepts of Jainism through simple diagrams allowing the audience to engage visually. In December 2019, Arunvijayji organized a conference for Jain scholars in Mumbai. Invited scholars, sadhus, sadhvis presented research papers on Shri Aandghanji and Devchandra Sthavans. Among the attendees was a visitor from USA attending as a guest of one of the invited scholars. He found the conference extremely intriguing and connected with Arunvijayji after the conference. Noticing his interest, Arunvijayji met with him one-on-one and gave him some fundamental ideas about Drayva Guna Paryaya and how the Atma connects with Pudgal to initiate the Karmic cycles of rebirth.

The visitor returned to USA and took those lecture notes and recordings and kept on learning and listening and had several questions about creation theory. He called up Arunvijayji in early 2020, who requested a video meeting to explain with diagrams. After several failed attempts things worked out with Zoom and 7 people from USA attended the first Zoom meeting to understand the theory behind creation.

A new door opened a universe of virtual Swadhaya (self-study). Our Utkrushta (highest degree) Punyas (good Karmas) were in Uday (bearing fruition) as the Nimit (cause) in the form of Arunvijayji appeared in our homes, crossing all barriers of space and time, across the globe, just to provide us that Durlabh (extremely rare) Shubh Yoga (good connection) with the timeless message of the Tirthankaras.

The small group urged Arunvijayji to continue, and soon there were weekly discourses on Jain foods, followed by Uttaradhyayan sutra and the ball started rolling and Arunvijayji’s dream started unfolding, stretching to audiences all across the globe. Fast forward 2021, Arunvijayji now teaches a full schedule of about ten, one year-long courses spread out through the week, to a world-wide audience with one course on Karma Philosophy catered specially to USA audience, sponsored by JAINA (details https://www.jaina.org/). Master of many languages Arunvijayi easily deciphers the language of Agam shastras ie. Sanskrit, Prakrit, Ardha Magdhi and explains in simple Hindi/ Gujarati/ Marwari/ Marathi/English.

At the same time, the JAINA 2021 virtual conference was inviting proposals for the conference. The conference coordinator was none other than our present esteemed editor of the Jain Digest you are reading. When he was approached with a proposal for a presentation on Karma philosophy on behalf of Arunvijayi, the name immediately rang a bell, and things connected full circle as memories of his late father taking Diksha under Arunvijayji Maharaj floated back in his mind. Truly a small world; shrinking the space time barrier between Pune and LA. He was overjoyed with humility and excitement and felt honored to have Arunvijayji as a presenter in the Jaina 2021 conference.

Among the many other year-long virtual courses run presently, are Navkaar Meditation, Jain Diet, Gandharwaad, Karma Philosophy, Shri Devchandra Chovisi, Religion and Philosophy, Jain Meta Physics, and Samyak Darshan Global Jain class, all live streamed to many countries including North America, Europe, Australia and India. For all past lectures https://www.youtube.com/c/veeralayamdrarunvijay

For joining any current on-going live classes and schedule contact mahaveeralayam@gmail.com. Options to earn a one-year Certificate, three-year Diploma or a Degree are available from the Mahaveer Research Foundation, Veralayam.

In December 2021, he was awarded the prestigious Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) doctoral degree through Delhi University, probably making him the “one and only one” Jain sadhu who is a Panyas with two BA, MA and two doctoral degrees; Ph.D and D.Litt.

On January 9, 2022, the Delhi University Vice Chancellor Shrimati Anju Bhandari and Registrar Dr. K. D. Arya both travelled to Mumbai and awarded the D. Litt. Degree to Maharajsaheb. Maharjsaheb’s Pujya Mataji Shri Shantaben Gulabchand Kamdar, age 96, also attended the ceremony.

Proudly holding the thesis book “Adhyatmik Vikaas Yaatra”, Pujya Shri Shantaben has been living like a sadhvi in her home, done tapasya of 30 Varsi taps and since last 20 years has done loch every year; thus continuously inspiring Pujya Maharajsaheb to relentlessly progress in his Gyan-Sadhana.

At the age of 74, Pujya Panyas Dr. Arunvijayji Maharaj continues to live the dream of spreading Mahaveer Bhagwan’s message tirelessly, relentlessly and with ever increasing vigor to help the liberation of every soul he touches. The current hectic weekly class schedule, shibirs, daily kriyas, morning evening local discourses, vihars, book writing, and book publishing does not stop him from progressing in his own personal Gnan-Sadhna and research.

We bow in utmost reverence and deepest gratitude, expressing our heart-felt Anumodana, and pray that our beloved Pujya Maharajsaheb continues to get the divine strength and support as he fulfills his life’s dream enlightening our lives with the ever flowing Gnan-Dhara, unlocking the secrets of the puzzle of the Agamshastras, piece by piece, connecting carefully, as the pictures of the path of liberation reveals itself on the Blackboard differently, each time, again, and again, and again! We are grateful to JAINA and the editor of Jain Digest, for featuring the amazing, inspirational story of Pujya Maharajsaheb.

Links to a few playlists of videos on various topics by Pujya Maharajsaheb:

1) Uttaradhyayan Sutra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOvLisO0qdA&lis t=PLi3vTa_oBFFetI5O7cTXJQZEw4rE_AQSE

2) Jain Religion and Philosophy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYtui_rRMug &list=PLi3vTa_oBFFf__ZdJBNv8yc_bgdngWaP9

3) Study of Jain Karma Philosophy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFeFUdkFraA&li st=PLi3vTa_oBFFfru5VwzdSfNUTgzXXHPO__

4) Samyak Darshan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I49AaUb6SiY&lis t=PLi3vTa_oBFFdJkfc5zQGtd0ibrdI2BIsv

5) Study of Granthi Bhed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9RQ1uOsZYo& list=PLi3vTa_oBFFfGDp59eHvamu4X0IWOV81Y